The month of August has started with good news. Yesterday, the international premiere in Toronto of Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s short film Madre was announced, which we are distributing as part of the Madrid en corto 2017 catalog.
This month is somewhat contradictory; on one hand, it’s vacation time and the work pace slows down a bit. But many summer festivals are also held, and calls for entries are open, which should be completed as soon as possible.
It is increasingly important to submit to festivals early; whenever possible, we should submit entries several weeks before the deadline, ensuring they arrive in good condition so that programmers are not overly stressed by the workload.
It is important to be aware that many festivals conduct selections gradually, which means that by the last week of submissions, a portion of the program is already confirmed, and therefore, the chances of selection are significantly reduced.
These days, before going on vacation, I have been reviewing some festivals that close their call for entries within one or two months. These festivals are an example of how we should also be mindful of the opening dates for calls for entries and plan submissions with sufficient time.
I have selected 5 festivals of very different characteristics and types, so you can start submitting this week.
#1 Guadalajara International Film Festival
This is one of the most important festivals in the Ibero-American sphere, requiring a premiere in Mexico. It accepts fiction feature films from 60 minutes, documentaries from 45 minutes, and short films up to 30 minutes. It takes place from March 9 to 16, 2018.
The call for entries opened this July and closes on October 27. From today, there are still 3 months remaining for submissions, which is the best time to submit and ensure programmers can view it under the best possible conditions.
Submission is free, and they have their own form created with Eventival.
#2 International Film Festival Rotterdam
Rotterdam is characterized by one of the most daring and original programming lines in the festival circuit, with a prestige earned in each edition. We should consider it primarily for international or world premieres, although the premiere requirement only applies to the Netherlands. However, caution is advised with some of its sections, such as the short film competition and the Hivos Tiger Competition for a director’s first, second, or third film, which indeed must be world premieres.
For short films, there are two deadlines: the first is September 1 for shorts produced before July 1, and the final deadline is October 1 for shorts produced after that date. They accept shorts up to 60 minutes in length. For feature films, the deadline is October 15. The festival runs from January 24 to February 4, 2018.
This August is the perfect time to submit, two months in advance. Submissions are made through their own platform at this link, and there are fees of €27.50 for shorts and €50 for features.
#3 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
Clermont-Ferrand is another example of a festival with two deadlines depending on the production date; the first was July 10, and the second is October 10 for short films produced in 2017. In these cases, early submission is especially important, as this festival receives 8,000 entries annually.
Now is a good time, and you shouldn’t wait much longer; there are just over two months left. Submissions are made via the shortfilmdepot.com platform.
#4 CPH:DOX
In the documentary segment, submissions are now open for Copenhagen, which takes place from April 15 to 25, 2018. It also has two deadlines: the first is September 1 and the second is December 1. We are also at the perfect time to submit if we already have a completed documentary.
The submission fee is €20 for feature films from 30 minutes and €10 for short films. In this case, it also has its own submission form. This is the link where you can review the festival rules.
#5 Gijón International Film Festival
In Spain, the submission period is still open for one of the most important premiere festivals, Gijón. The period opened in mid-July and closes on September 20, so there is still more than a month until the closing date. However, it would certainly not be a good idea to leave submissions until mid-September, as this is one of the festivals that receives the most films.
Submissions can be made via Festhome, and fees only apply to the international short film competition and feature films. For Spanish short films, submission is free.
More festivals
Many other festivals have open calls for entries. Some Oscar-qualifying festivals have their deadlines open, both early and regular. To keep them in mind, you can review last year’s post with open early deadlines, as the dates are very similar, and this other one about documentary festivals that I published in October.
Do you usually leave submissions until the last day? I hope this post helps you better plan your festival submissions.